


A Familiar Face

by Brachylagus_fandom



Series: Muggle(born) Moments [1]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender, Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Gen, International Fanworks Day 2016
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-18
Updated: 2016-01-18
Packaged: 2018-05-14 19:52:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,158
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5756152
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Brachylagus_fandom/pseuds/Brachylagus_fandom
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It isn't the story or animation that gets him; it's the face, different and scarred but all too familiar.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Book 1

Dan and Emma Granger stood at Platform 9¾ to pick up their daughter and her friend. Said friend was a small, thin boy with dark hair and green eyes. As the group drove to the Granger residence, Hermione eagerly unwrapped the box laid carefully in the backseat. Instead of a book, she found a DVD set, colored blue and titled _Avatar: The Last Airbender_.

“What’s this?” Hermione asked.

“It’s a cartoon that came on while you were at school,” Emma replied. “Dad and I thought it would be a good choice for you and Harry to watch when your friends come over since you’ve already gone through Dad’s list of age-appropriate classics.” The pair looked at each other and shrugged.

“We’ll try it,” they said in unison.

* * *

”So this is a muggle TV show?” Neville asked.

“Yes,” Hermione answered carefully. “It’s a cartoon, which is basically moving drawings with sound. Do you want to see it?”

“Sure,” Susan replied cheerfully. The preteens gathered on the living room’s carpet as Hermione inserted the DVD into the player.

 _“Water. Earth. Fire. Air. My grandmother used to tell me stories about the old days: a time of peace when the Avatar kept balance between the Water Tribes, Earth Kingdom, Fire Nation and Air Nomads. But that all changed when the Fire Nation attacked. Only the Avatar mastered all four elements; only he could stop the ruthless firebenders. But when the world needed him most, he vanished…”_ The day ended with the group having finished four episodes and promising to meet back up the next Saturday. Harry and Hermione were still debating the merits of different characters.

“I like Katara best,” Hermione declared. “She keeps Sokka and Aang balanced. And Suki. She’s badass.”

“I like Gram-Gram,” Harry argued. “She’s nice. Though I get where Aang’s coming from, having to save the world. Why is Zuko looking for Aang, though? Shouldn’t he be back in the fire nation?”

“I don’t know. I asked Mom that and all she said was ‘spoilers’. I guess we’ll have to wait and see.”

* * *

”Okay, next up: Episode 5: The King of Omashu…”

“Sounds interesting,” Dean commented. “I’m guessing Omashu’s a city?”

“It’d be weird to be the king of a person,” Hannah agreed, “and Omashu’s not a Nation.”

“Oh God Aang, that is such a stupid idea…”

“Are we sure getting frozen doesn’t cause permanent brain damage?”

“Oh shit, oh shit, they’re gonna die!”

“That could’ve ended poorly…”

“Why is Aang’s old friend king?”

“You think that, too?”

“Yeah, it’s obvious.”

“Oh, why is Bumi being so nasty? Isn’t he Aang’s _friend_?”

“So he was testing if it was Aang?”

“I guess.”

“Oh, right, he’s crazy too.”

“Okay, Episode 6: Imprisoned.”

“Oh, Katara, really? Do you have to wear to stupid hat now?”

“Well, she’s sort of right.”

“But she’s being an idiot… and before you start about freedom, Hermione, there’s the whole ideas on paper versus in context theory. If they revolt, they have a lot to lose.”

“And everyone lived happily ever after. The end. Episodes 7&8: Winter Solstice, Parts 1 and 2.”

“Okay, have they tried negotiating with this spirit?”

“Why does Aang think this is a good plan?”

“Brain damage.”

“Right.”

“Let me guess, Roku’s temple is in the Fire Nation.”

“This will be interesting.”

“Okay, creepy Fire Nation dude, that’s an interesting decision…”

“THAT’S WHY YOU CALLED AANG HERE? THAT? A STUPID COMET!”

“Well, it’ll give the Fire Nation a bunch of power, so it’s not that little.”

“Point taken.”

“Where the hell did Zuko go in this? Is he dead?”

“No, he’s there.”

“This spells trap…”

“Please, this is a kid’s show, it’ll be fine…”

“And you’re right, they’re fine, next episodes next week!”

* * *

”Episode 9: The Waterbending Scroll.”

“Katara, why are you wearing the stupid hat?”

“Zuko, why are _you_ wearing the stupid hat?”

“Okay, onto Episode 10: Jet.”

“Hey, that’s actually a smart move.”

“Well, sort of.”

“And now it’s not…”

“I’m guessing this guy’s Jet. Seems sane…”

“Nevermind, he’s nuts too…”

“Are they following him for revenge or are they brainwashed?”

“Good question. Oh look, Sokka saves the day!”

“Okay, Episode 11 is the Great Divide.”

“This sucks…”

“I agree…”

“Maybe it’ll get better… Nevermind…”

“Let’s hope the next one sucks less…”

”Episode 12: The Storm.”

“Please don’t be another Great Divide…”

“Oh, this is actually pretty good…”

“So _that’s_ why Zuko’s here…”

“Poor Zuko…”

“Who’s the creepy smiling girl?”

“I have no idea…”

“So Aang and Zuko are basically both kids forced under tremendous pressure by others. That’s interesting…”

* * *

“13: The Blue Spirit.”

“Okay, Aang, you’re taking this lady’s word on it?”

“Oh Aang, seriously? DO SOME DAMAGE!”

“Well, it’s against his philosophy.”

“Who cares about philosophy? He’s gonna die!”

“No, he’ll get captured. If Aang dies, then the Fire Nation will have to spend years searching for the next avatar.”

“Okay, that’s the creepy dude from earlier…”

“So is Zuko a good guy?”

“Apparently not…”

“Chapter 14: The Fortuneteller.”

“Oh great, another stupid episode…”

“HA! Written on his face!”

“Ooh, volcano.”

“Well, that could’ve been worse.”

“15: Bato of the Water Tribe.”

“Why does this spell trap?”

“But it’s not…”

“Aang, really?”

“This is just as bad as the Great Divide…”

“Well, maybe the Deserter will be better…”

“Nevermind…”

“Let’s try again next week…”

* * *

”Chapter 17: The Northern Air Temple.”

“Okay, this is strange…”

“And there’s the Fire Nation…”

“Oh, look, someone intelligent!”

“Well, that could’ve been worse.”

“Chapter 18: The Waterbending Master.”

“Sexism. Yay!”

“And Katara kicks ass.”

“And Whitebeard’s learned a lesson.”

“Okay, these are the last 2 episodes. Chapters 19 and 20: The Siege of the North.”

“It’s not snow, it’s ash.”

“YUE! You were so young!”

“We’ve only known her for like 3 episodes, Dean.”

“But she’s too young to die! And I ship her and Sokka! Zhao is an asshole!”

“Okay…”

“And everything is better, the end.”

“But we’re going to have to wait a YEAR to see the next season!”

* * *

”So, who’s your favorite, Harry?” Hermione asked. Harry thought about it for a moment. On the one hand, Aang was forced with impossible choices and responsibilities he couldn’t run away from. On the other hand, Zuko had many of the same problems but suffered greater consequences. While he was tempted to pick Aang, Harry knew that Zuko was his favorite as he evolved and changed. Then again, why did he have to pick the one like him?

“Katara,” Harry decided. “She’s the responsible one.”


	2. Book 2

“Okay, next Saturday will be the first time the others come over. We can’t watch it before them. It wouldn’t be fair.”

“It?”

“Oh, Sirius hasn’t seen Book 1 yet.”

“Okay, Sirius, this is a cartoon show, which is moving drawings. Your mission is to watch the first season.“

* * *

"Chapter 1: The Avatar State.”

“Oh, this is lame!”

“Not bad, just filler-y.”

“Well, I think it’s building up the Avatar State for a later time. Chapter 2: The Cave of Two Lovers.”

“Are we sure this is Avatar?”

“Yes. This sucks.”

“I thought the music was nice.”

“Didn’t anyone else find it funny that Zuko and Iroh would rather go into enemy territory than face Azula?”

“I guess she takes after their father. Onto Chapter 3: Return to Omashu.”

“This is what I’ve been waiting for!”

“Gratuitous violence?”

“Yup. And badass ladies.”

“Okay, Bumi is being weird.”

“Azula’s friends are crazy. Bumi’s just got an interesting worldview.”

“And Tom-tom’s back home. Onto the Swamp!”

“Creepy swamp…”

“Oh look, a dead mother.”

“Oh look, a dead girlfriend.”

“Oh look, mystery girl.”

“Oh look, Appa and Momo are about to get eaten.”

“Well, that was interesting. See you next week!”

* * *

”Episode 5 is called Avatar Day.”

“Brilliant plan, Aang.”

“This sucks.”

“Well, maybe the Blind Bandit will be better.”

“Oh yeah! This is what we’ve been waiting for!”

“She’s awesome!”

“And she’s blind!”

“I think she’s awesome _because_ she’s blind. I mean, being sightless made her want freedom, which got her to learn to ‘see’.”

“Can the philosophy, Dean.”

“But she’s amazing! I love her!”

“Chapter 7: Zuko Alone.”

“So is this one Zuko-centric?”

“I’m guessing so.”

“Zuko’s not really a villain now, is he?”

“He’s more of an antihero.”

“It was some interesting development, at least.”

“Okay, last episode today, the Chase.”

“Well, this is interesting.”

“Good premise.”

“Might suck.”

“Not as much as some others.”

“Toph and Iroh.”

“Angst. All the angst.”

“Hey, that was actually pretty good!”

* * *

”Chapter 9: Bitter Work.”

“Aang’s inner conflict.”

“Toph being Toph.”

“Sokka’s hungry.”

“Iroh can screw with lightning.”

“Not too bad. Could’ve been worse.”

“Chapter 10: The Library.”

“Okay… magical library.”

“Creepy owl.”

“Crazy scholar.”

“A plan!”

“APPA!”

"Okay, the next one’s the Desert, maybe it’ll end well…”

“Cactus juice?”

“Cactus juice.”

“Oh look, nomads.”

“Evil nomads.”

“Well, that could’ve been bad. Appa’s gone but it’s no Great Divide.”

“The Next Episode is the Serpent’s Pass.”

“Good job Sokka, pick the lethal route off old maps.”

“Woohoo! SUKI!”

“They’re going to use the Serpent’s Pass anyways, aren’t they?”

“Of course.”

“Oh god, Toph!”

“And angst.”

“And sea monsters.”

“And she’s in labor.”

“But it worked out well in the end.”

* * *

”Episode 13: The Drill.”

“This is all one big sex metaphor.”

“So did not need to hear that.”

“Episode 14: City of Walls and Secrets.”

“Hey look, we don’t live in the most fucked-up society!”

“Sirius, you do realize this is fictional, right?”

“Also, there are worse totalitarian regimes than this one.”

“But their brainwashing is less effective.”

“Why are we rooting for the antagonist?”

“Azula’s the antagonist; Zuko’s an antihero now.”

“Antihero?”

“An antihero is a flawed hero. Basically, they’re people you want to achieve their goals but really, really _don’t_ want to be.”

“Why is Jet back again?”

“Who knows. Maybe he’ll die soon.”

“Episode 14: The Tales of Ba Sing Se.”

“Ba Sing Se is the city, right?”

“Yep.”

“Toph in the morning.”

“Like her poodle-monkey!”

“SPLASH!”

“Oh look, Aang does something nice. What a surprise.”

“Sokka in a poetry club!”

“Zuko on a date!”

“Oh, this one’s sad.”

“Poor Iroh.”

“Next episode is Appa’s Lost Days.”

“Oh, we get to see Appa again!”

“This one’s sad too.”

“Poor Appa.”

“Poor Suki.”

* * *

”Chapter 17: Lake Laogai.”

“Okay, that’s interesting.”

“What the hell?”

“And he’s dead.”

“Did Iroh seriously copy the ‘Get the Hell Out of My Galaxy’ speech?”

“Yep.”

“Is Zuko getting more or less antiheroic?”

“Less, I think.”

“Chapter 18: The Earth King.”

“Man, this is a bad plan.”

“Not as stupid as jumping on a troll.”

“Or fighting a basilisk.”

“Or warding off hundreds of dementors alone.”

“Oh, poor, sick Zuko.”

“And Azula.”

“Chapter 19: The Guru.”

“Bye Aang!”

“Bye Sokka!”

“WTF, Toph!”

“And things go wrong.”

“Okay, last one, Crossroads of Destiny…”

“That was not what I was expecting…”

“And now we have to wait a year for Book 3.”

“Ugh!”

* * *

”So, Harry, has your favorite changed?” Harry considered the answer. Zuko had gotten better and worse, just as the others had. Katara hadn’t played much of a role, which was disappointing. Aang was too peaceful; he was going to lose because of it.

“Jet,” Harry declared. “He might be dead but he died fighting for what he believed in.”


	3. Book 3

“Book 3!”

“Finally!”

“Chapter 1: Awakening.”

“Oh, that’s an interesting explanation.”

“Aang, stop wearing the stupid hat!”

“Chapter 2: the Headband.”

“This sucks.”

“Chapter 3: The Painted Lady.”

“Aww yeah! Suki!”

“Nevermind.”

“Chapter 4: Sokka’s Master.”

“Man, this show needs better plot.”

* * *

”Chapter 5: The Beach.”

“Could’ve been worse.”

“Not by much.”

“Chapter 6: The Avatar and the Firelord.”

“Interesting. Sort of.”

“Chapter 7: The Runaway.”

“Well, Toph’s being Toph. That’s good.”

“Interesting ending. Chapter 8 is The Puppetmaster.”

“Creepy as hell.”

“Never trust old women living in the woods.”

* * *

“ Chapter 9: Nightmares and Daydreams.”

“Filler! Yay!”

“Sarcastic much? Chapters 10 and 11: Day of Black Sun, Parts 1 and 2.”

“They’re going to win? But we’re only halfway through the season…”

“No.”

“No.”

“Of course.”

“Sokka! You have a more important task right now!”

“Chapter 12: Western Air Temple.”

“Zuko.”

“Good old Zuko.”

“Interesting parallels.”

* * *

“Chapter 13: Firebending Masters.”

“Not too shabby. Chapters 14 and 15: Boiling Rock, Parts 1 and 2.”

“SUKI!”

“THE DAD!”

“And everyone lived happily ever after. Chapter 16: the Southern Raiders.”

“Revenge.”

“Sort of.”

“Not really.”

“Since it’s just this and then the finale, how about we watch the Ember Island Players?”

“That kind of sucked.”

“Not as much as the Great Divide.”

"I liked it. It was funny."

* * *

“Okay, this is it. Chapters 18 through 21: Sozin’s Comet.”

“Aang doesn’t want to kill. How quaint.”

“Consequences!”

“Fighting!”

“Azula’s cuckoo for cocoa puffs!”

“Deus Ex Machina!”

“What?”

“Deus Es Machina. It means ‘god in the machine’. Basically, it’s a solution out of nowhere.”

“And they all lived happily ever after.”

* * *

”So, Harry, who’s your favorite character now?” Harry didn’t even need to think.

“Zuko. Definitely Zuko.”


End file.
